Passionate Grimoire
by Nanaki BH
Summary: Gilles de Rais/Ryuunosuke - The disgraced baron of Rais has lost everything. The only thing he has been left with is his tireless desire to find something exciting. Fortunately, it seems he's found someone who shares his desire.
1. A Kill For Two

This one was... alright. He felt calmer once it was over. The fear of what he was doing had stopped registering after the first time he did it and he was glad for that. If he stayed afraid of spilling a little blood, he was never going to successfully summon a demon. It was obviously something that was going to take practice if he was going to pull it off on his own and he was going to need a lot of practice. Two children wasn't enough. The third may enlighten him a little more, but he doubted that he would perform a successful summon for some time at the rate he was going.

Gilles cradled the limp body in his arms, holding the boy under his arms, watching as his head tipped to the side, eyes open, lips parted, never to take another breath. He had to think of them as containers holding the ingredients that he needed. By slitting their throats, he was releasing the energy that the demon required.

That was what he was told, at least. Something along those lines.

After his first failure, he almost gave up entirely out of frustration. It felt like such a waste. A waste of his time, a waste of a perfectly fine child. When he took some time to cool his head, he realized that there wasn't much else for him to let go of anymore, though. He had already lost nearly all of his fortune, so anything more couldn't be half as bad as what he had already suffered through. If he could manifest Barron through sacrifice, then he was sure he would help him restore his riches to what they once had been.

With a sigh, he lowered the body to the cellar floor. The thrill had gone stale after so much pondering. The first time, he had been so flooded with adrenaline that he did all sorts of things with the child, but this one was just dead now. There wasn't any excitement left in the room. And Barron hadn't appeared.

Sitting himself down on the stone floor next to the child, he pulled the book of spells into his lap and leafed through the pages to find the specific page he had dog-earred. He pulled off the hat on his head which obscured his light and squinted to re-read the page.

For what he could tell, it was flawless. It had to be skill that kept him from performing the ritual on his own. The alchemist he received the book from was accomplished and knew how to handle magic of this level but something kept them from making it work. Being the one who wished to form the contract, Gilles had to collect the offering himself, but it hadn't been enough to make him appear.

In his rage, he had denounced the alchemist and made off with his book and the remnants from his first sacrifice and made attempt number two by himself. His offerings weren't enough or his skill wasn't high enough – perhaps both. But could it have been something else? That thought worried and frustrated him deeply. Without experience, he wouldn't know what a wrong turn looked like if he took one.

He wasn't going to be able to do this alone. If his alchemist couldn't figure out how to summon a demon of great strength then he was going to have to find another who could.

First road block: Where in good France does one regularly find highly skilled practicioners of the magical arts?

This thinking was making him much too nervous. He placed a hand down on the boy's clothed belly and stroked him slowly like a cat, _one, two, three_ until he felt his heart calm down. It helped, but not greatly when his head was still filled with other worries. He had to summon this demon soon. It was hard for him to show his face in public after being rejected by his in-laws, family, and even the king. It was enough to make him want to cry, thinking about his dwindling funds.

The boy he captured had a few francs on him, which would be enough to buy something for dinner. That was something.

Standing, he brushed some dust off the back of his pants and picked up the book and put it under his arm. He grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt collar and dragged him to the fireplace. He lit the fire and found himself a proper chair to sit in to read while he waited for the flames to grow. He'd divide the parts in a little while. At the moment, he just didn't feel like he had the energy for it.

Later, after separating the useless parts from the essential components of the body he required for summoning, Gilles watched the severed limbs turn to ash in the fire. He was more restrained this time, which meant less blood on his clothes so he didn't have to do much to make himself look presentable again before he headed out.

When he reached the door, he looked down at the book in his hand and made the quick decision to leave it at home instead of bringing it with him. Should anyone catch a glimpse of what wizardry he was trying to master, he would be hung without a moment's thought. Once it was back in his room, he slipped out of his home into the evening light.

By now, it felt as though he had memorized every word of the spell's directions and even had the illustration of Barron himself burned into his mind. He wanted the demon badly; so badly that he was willing to immediately try again.

He wanted his livelihood back again, his honor, his old way of life. But most of all, he wanted the excitement of war to return. He wanted the luxury and extravagance of his fortune. If he couldn't go back to the way he was before he desired these things so strongly, then he wanted to give in completely. He wanted to get another taste of what it felt like to be on the verge of life and death and bask in that desire and fulfillment.

There were still some people out during the evening hours. Most children would be inside, but there were some who ran around like stray cats, playing as if they had not a care in the world. They were the most unsuspecting; he realized that quickly. It was interesting how he always saw the children before but thought absolutely nothing about them until they became like his prey. Then their reckless antics seemed comical to him. Did their parents not realize how easily they could be snatched from underneath them?

For Barron, he reminded himself as he snuck along the deep shadows cast below the shops' awnings. They were sacrifices. Ingredients. Little mice...

There were two boys playing with each other in the middle of the street. A woman from the bakery across the street yelled at them and they both laughed rudely. She yelled again and they did nothing but continue to play. Harmless little nuisances.

He didn't want to do anything that he would regret. In the event that someone noticed that their child was missing, he didn't want anyone to recognize his face or even find him suspicious. It wasn't like his life could get any worse at this point, but he really prefered to keep his life so he could continue to pursue the ultimate excitement.

A girl stepped out from the opposing bakery on his side of the street and practically forced her bread upon him, insisting that he try it. But to try it, that would mean that he had to buy it and his funds were precious at the moment. He patted her on the head, feeling her fragile warmth beneath his fingers and then waved her away. Unfortunately, in the second she took to accost him, he also lost sight of one of the boys.

That would be alright. He prefered to take one at a time for now – better than arising more suspicion. It may have been hasty for him to even stalk children who lived so close to his home, but he wanted to get some gears turning soon. For Barron.

Just as he walked out from beneath the awnings, a man walked up to the boy he was prepared to follow. He was young himself when he got a little closer to take a look at him. The man had a soft, round face, but had sharp eyes like a fox. Intrigued, Gilles creapt a little closer in an attempt to hear their exchange of words. The man was soft spoken but there were excited punctuations in each sentence that stood out.

_ Interesting-!_

_ -fun!_

_ -me!_

It was no use. The words he caught couldn't form any kind of discernable sentence, but he didn't believe that this man was of any relation to the boy. For a moment, he turned around and pretended to inspect one of the nearby buildings until he heard them start walking. He turned around once he thought them to be a safe distance away and then began his pursuit.

A lively child such as he would make for an entertaining night indeed. It would be a shame if he didn't get to play with him and Gilles' determination grew at the prospect. Who was this man, though? He was awfully friendly. Did he intend to kidnap the boy?

Not while he was watching.

Suddenly, he became even more excited, realizing how wonderful it would be if he could pretend to rescue this boy should things begin to turn unsavory with this man. If he grabbed him with the intent to kidnap him or harm him, Gilles could rush in at the last moment to scare the man away and save the child. Then he would take him home with the promise of shelter for the night from vicious predators and he would take care of him until he let his guard down around him, his savior.

Then, well...

His grin grew as the sky grew darker. He tailed at a slow pace, his feet treading confidently as he followed them from the street into the alley behind the shops.

_Where is he taking him?_ he wondered. Maybe he was wrong after all. Maybe this man really did know the boy... Even if they weren't related that didn't mean he wasn't a family frie-

A friend wouldn't conceal a knife behind their back like that, that much he knew.

So he was right – about the dangerous part. There were two wolves on the hunt in France tonight and this one was about to get his prey in the sloppiest of manners. Frustration and anger boiled beneath his skin at the sight and at the thought of another claiming something of his. When the knife was revealed to the boy, Gilles felt himself seeth and whatever happened next was beyond his control.

He pointed at the man threateningly and called in a loud voice, "Stop right there!"

At his yell, the man turned his head sharply. The boy, too surprised to scream, pushed the man away and started running.

"What are you doing? Don't let him get away!" he said – and paled the second the words came from his mouth. Instead of pointing at the man in front of him, he was now pointing toward the direction the child had taken off in. He thought it wise to straighten his back confidently; might as well go all the way with this turn of events now that it had reached this point. He didn't know where he was going exactly, but the stranger in front of him had suddenly become his accomplice.

He sputtered nervously and nodded, then took after him with his knife in hand.

"Don't harm him!" Gilles called. "Wait until I get there."

"Alright!"

It was just a kid. There was no conceivable way he could outrun two grown men. This stranger was fast, too. Before the boy even reached the end of the back alley, he had him tackled to the ground with a hand covering his mouth to stifle his screams.

Gilles approached slowly, contemplating his next actions before he reached them. He took a few breaths, forcing himself to look calmer than he was for the sake of the act he wished to put on. Sighing, he lowered himself down onto one knee in front of the two of them and gently put a hand over the one the stranger held to the boy's mouth. Sensing the calm stillness of his hand, the boy relaxed visibly as they moved their hands away.

"My apologies," he said kindly. "There is no excuse for my friend's actions. I simply wanted him to get your attention for me and look to what lengths he went!"

The boy still appeared apprehensive and the man looked at him with an extremely perplexed face.

"Wha-"

"Hush, Edmond," he said, throwing out whatever fake name he thought of first. With him silenced for the moment, he brought his attention gently back to the boy. "Pardon my servant. I needed some help in my home tonight with some pests. You see, I'll have guests coming tomorrow and it simply can't do for there to be so many mice in my home. I was hoping to find someone small who could search out their hiding places for me."

"W-why did he have a knife?" the boy asked, lips quivering as he looked to the man next to them.

Gilles laughed heartily. "Perhaps he thought you were a little mouse yourself! He isn't bright at all, you see. He is only suited to be a servant at best and then hardly even that."

'Edmond' snickered. "I see..."

"You see? He doesn't even deny it himself. I believe you owe this boy an apology, don't you though, Edmond?"

Going along with this ruse, the man chuckled softly and bowed his head in apology. "Very sorry to frighten you. I didn't intend to harm a hair on your head."

It was well obvious that he had intended to do more than harm a few hairs, but the boy seemed to be too frazzled now to consider what a fate he had just narrowly escaped. No, instead he had just been placed into another trap and was completely unaware. This would be great. Whether he was going to bring 'Edmond' back with him to his home or not was yet to be decided. If he was pretending with him like this already then Gilles realized he may make an interesting companion. For whatever reason, he was after children himself.

Gilles helped the boy to his feet and took the knife from his new accomplice, surprised that he didn't resist him at all. In fact, once they were standing, he bowed to Gilles and stepped behind him respectfully.

"So what do you say?" he asked the boy, extending a hand. "Would you like to earn a little extra money tonight? I can provide you with a meal as well for your trouble."

He tried hard not to let his excitement show on his face when the boy took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Let us be off then. We should pick up a few things before the shops close."

His new friend was very cooperative, holding his items for him as they shopped for vegetables, pretending to keep the respectful distance that all servants must maintain, even agreeing to make the food himself once they had returned to his home. Still, he was a stranger and having a stranger in his home made Gilles feel unease.

He got the child after all. That was what mattered for now. The problem was dealing with it in front of him. Without a doubt, he meant to kill that child himself. So far, it seemed that he would be alright sharing this kill with him. The remains were his, though. Gilles wasn't about to give up even a small portion of his satisfaction to someone he didn't know.

First, he sat the boy at his table in the dining hall and told him to wait a few moments for him as he disappeared into the kitchen after his other 'guest'.

The door was closed softly behind him as he entered, careful not to surprise the one who was slicing vegetables. 'Accomplice' or not, this was still a person who was likely a murderer who was now armed with one of his kitchen utensils. He knew he had to take some caution around him.

On second thought, maybe he should have closed the door a little more loudly. Now he wondered what he would do if he accidentally surprised him. Hopefully he wasn't prone to throwing sharp objects.

He cleared his throat slightly and the man gave but a small start and turned his head around. Now that he had a better look at him, Gilles realized he could consider him fairly attractive. One would be lucky to have a servant with such fine features around to look at and it made Gilles wish that he knew what to call him other than 'Edmond', which certainly couldn't have been his actual name.

"So, it seems that you really are pretending to be my servant. You know how to cook?"

He nodded. "I cook for myself. I should be able to make something pretty decent with the things you just bought."

More importantly... "What were your plans for that child?"

The other held up the knife to his lips as he tilted his head in a curious fashion. "Same as yours, I assume? I mean, I was just going to take him out right there, but I thought things would get a lot more interesting if I played along with you. We're still going to kill him, right? Cuz if we aren't, I'm afraid you've gotten yourself in my way and that doesn't make me happy."

Gilles made a face and clicked his tongue. "Of course I intend to kill him," he responded, keeping his voice low. "But I need his parts for a ritual. As long as you don't interfere..."

The man shook his head and held up a hand. When he looked back up at him, it was as if his eyes were sparkling. "You can trust me, sir! I'm getting more interested the more you talk. What a night this is! I'll let you handle things your way and I'll assist when needed."

Hadn't he just been considering finding help for his experiments? If he was a thrill-seeker like himself then he could potentially make a very fine assistant.

"Your name can't be Edmond, correct? By what name should I address you?"

The other straightened proudly. "Uryuu Ryuunosuke! Just Ryuunosuke is fine."

What kind of name was that? Was that a fake name or a pseudonym? Gilles wasn't sure he could even repeat it with the correct pronunciation. Actually, having such unique features, he wouldn't have been surprised if it were something foreign. That was fine.

"I am Gilles de Montmorency-Laval, baron of Rais. It's a pleasure to have you tonight, Mr. Ryuunosuke."

The man – Ryuunosuke – turned a bit red and smiled. "No, no. Just Ryuunosuke. No need to be formal with me. I'm supposed to be your servant tonight, remember?"

Gilles left the kitchen after that, entrusting Ryuunosuke with dinner preparation. In the meantime, he sat down with the boy and apologized once again for his servant's behavior, telling him that he would receive punishment later and had already spoken to him about how to properly behave in front of their precious, young guest. He even explained the mouse situation to him in thorough detail, even if he wasn't going to be finding a single mouse in his home that night. It was just to kill some time.

Ryuunosuke returned shortly with food and set it out for both of them. Before he turned to leave to head back to the kitchen, Gilles held up a hand and called him back to the table. "We have enough chairs, so do keep us company, would you?"

He wasn't dressed well enough to be the servant of a baron, but the boy hadn't noticed thus far so it was presumably of no issue. Ryuunosuke fetched himself a plate and then returned to the table to enjoy the meal with them. The kid really didn't question anything once he had food in his mouth, only smiled appreciatively at the two of them as if they had just become his two new favorite people as he took one bite after another.

To be honest, the food Ryuunosuke made was delectable. If he could get him to stay, he would have him make food like this every day. It was difficult to make food this good with the kind of funds he actually had, however. He was only able to afford it tonight because he had the extra money he pinched from the child he killed earlier in his pocket.

The boy finished before either of them, although Gilles was taking his time because he enjoyed watching him enjoy himself too much. Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke kept his eyes on him with every raise of his fork as if he were waiting for the moment when he would strike.

Ryuunosuke was a guest as well and it would be rude to keep him waiting any longer either. He dabbed his napkin lightly to the corners of his mouth and folded it back neatly next to his plate. Without further ado...

"Did you enjoy your meal?" he asked kindly.

The boy nodded, blushing when he compared his own clean plate to that of the two others. "I did. Thank you very much, sir."

Next to him, Ryuunosuke was visibly squirming in his seat, clearly finding it too hard to hold back how excited he was getting. Gilles would have to teach him how to not look so obvious. If anything, he was just going to confuse the poor boy if he noticed how he was acting. Not that the boy wasn't already confused after a night like this, but Gilles believed it was best to be straightforward in certain situations.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. After all, a boy had to die for you to enjoy it," he said, watching as the boy's face fell as his words sunk in.

The child swayed in his seat. Next to him, Ryuunosuke was watching him from the corners of his eyes and was trying not to let a grin overtake his face. This was the point where it was alright if both of them got a little excited, though. The cat was out of the bag so it could only go farther downhill for this kid anyway.

"_Edmond_, I think I know what we should have for dinner. Keep an eye on our guest for me while I go fetch a knife from the kitchen."

Indeed, it was a lot more convenient this way, with another who could watch the children for him if he had to take a moment for himself. He stood from the table and went to the kitchen. He opened the drawer and was about to pull out one of his long carving knives until he saw Ryuunosuke's wide butcher's knife. Closing the drawer with his hip, he picked up his knife and next went to find the spell book where he left it in his quarters.

When he returned to the dining room, Ryuunosuke had subdued the child to a degree. He was talking to him softly and this time, Gilles could hear every word. He was saying reassuring, gentle things to keep him from yelling, but tears were still rolling down the boy's face.

"Now, follow me, please. I have yet to show you where the little pests are."

Book under arm, knife in hand, he led the two down to his cellar and closed the door behind them, sliding the lock down with a soft click.

"W-why would you have dessert down here?" the boy asked, trying to rationalize any way that this situation could turn out in his favor.

Gilles chuckled. Children were so unaware of how sweet their voices became in fear. He lifted his hand that held the knife and pointed it directly at him. Ryuunosuke's fingers tightened on his shoulders. "Because," he said. "This is where I keep the pests."

It wasn't terribly clever of him, but Ryuunosuke really seemed to enjoy that one. His face was red and his lips twitched with a mischievious little smile.

Gilles wanted to get on with it, but he was starting to get really interested in the way his new friend was responding to his methods. He wanted to know more about this interesting young man. The best way that he could think of to do that was to see how he handled things. Stepping forward to the middle of the room where Ryuunosuke held the child at bay, he turned the knife around in his hand and held out the handle for Ryuunosuke to accept.

"Slash his throat."

Almost as quickly as the knife was returned to its owner, his arm flew at incredible speed, creating a clean cut straight across his neck. The cut was created so quickly that it didn't even seem to leave a mark until the child took a breath and then the cut bloomed with red and then exploded in a spray of blood that coated his clothes in red.

"You can let go now," he told him. He held his hand back out for the knife, which Ryuunosuke willingly relinqueed to him.

The boy collapsed as soon as he was let go of, falling to his knees where he clutched at his throat and tried to scream. It was already over for him, though. With a cut that deep to a main artery, he wasn't going to last long at all. In fact, he could already see the life fading from his eyes.

He kicked the child over onto his back and pressed his shoe down over his throat, taking great pleasure in the way he shrieked and clawed powerlessly at his pantleg. Sitting down next to the sputtering, pitiful child, he opened the book to his marked page.

"Oh," Ryuunosuke said in a mystified voice, coming down to sit next to him. "You have a magic book."

He sounded familiar with it. "I've been attempting to summon a demon and it seems that I need many sacrifices to please him before he can be successfully summoned," he explained as he began unbuttoning the child's shirt. The boy's eyes had rolled back but he was still coughing blood and making burbling noises. Gilles loved seeing how far they could go now before they breathed their last. This one seemed resislient.

Last time he waited a while, but this time he felt like showing Ryuunosuke the parts he would need in case he was willing to help. He sunk the knife into the boy's middle and sliced him open to where the knife met his pants. The child squirmed helplessly and Ryuunosuke held down his his for him as he pushed his hands into his insides to find the necessary parts.

By the time he pulled the last of his ingredients from the boy, he was already gone but Ryuunosuke kept his hands firmly on his hips.

As far as he was concerned, they were done here. He separated and arranged the organs on the floor and Ryuunosuke watched with wide eyes and a gleeful expression. His night had turned interesting from the moment they met and now he wondered what he should say to invite Ryuunosuke to stay with him. He stood back up to inspect his work and put out a hand to help the other up with him.

He was ready to ask him, but realized with some embarrassment that the night's preceedings had caused a bit of a physical reaction in him. He moved the book to cover himself but noticed with no small amount of surprise that Ryuunosuke had a similar reaction from their activities.

"May I..." Ryuunosuke began, his eyes half lidded, his cheeks a bright red that could rival the beautiful blood that spilled from inside their young guest. "May I call you 'master'? It would be my honor to help you. Please, allow me to stay with you!"

Such an honest and forward request made Gilles want to play around with him, but it also pleased him in an unspeakable way to meet someone who appreciated his aesthetics. To think that there was another with this sort of reaction when nobody else could begin to understand his extravagant tastes...

"No," he said and paused, just to see Ryuunosuke's crestfallen expession. That would be the last time he ever wanted to see him looking sad. "It would be _my_ pleasure to have you."

Ryuunosuke laughed and laughed and when he was done, flung his arms around him in a tight embrace, putting his forehead against his new master's shoulder. He was very close and Gilles couldn't resist the disgusting urge he had to rub himself against him. In turn, Ryuunosuke let out a beautiful moan and held him tighter until their chests were flush together.

All too soon, he released him and stepped back.

"Would you like to go finish dinner with me?" he asked.

Oh, he was a gentleman, was he? There were all kinds of unexpected things about him, weren't there?

"I would like that very much," he said, smiling.

"Bring the book with you?" Ryuunosuke requested. "I'd like to have a look at it."


	2. Two of a Kind

Gilles spent dinner wishing he could climb over the table to Ryuunosuke. With every second, he became more and more interesting to him and nothing helped to abate his arousal. As it turned out, Ryuunosuke was homeless, traveling from place to place, making his living by acting as a parasite. Often, he said, he would kill whole families and live for a while in their home before moving elsewhere. Other times, he killed individuals for their possessions to make some quick change. However, even during the times when he found himself living in what others would call a comfortable living situation, he felt unfulfilled if he didn't continue killing.

He was all alone and, according to him, had never met someone he didn't immediately want to cut open. Even today, when they met, Ryuunosuke admitted that he was prepared to defend himself until he heard him speak.

Gilles was honored and relieved. The people on the street distrusted him and looked at him with disdain. It had been too long since he had anyone he could proudly call a friend.

At a point, Ryuunosuke got up to get more food for himself and when he came back, he finally decided to speak about the book. Gilles was very curious to hear his inquiries.

"So I was thinking," Ryuunosuke started, thoughtfully chewing some sweet potato. "_Why can't he summon the demon?_ The second I saw the book, I could tell it was real. But now that I've gotten a better look at it, I could tell you right away what the problem is."

"You know what I'm doing wrong?" Gilles asked, jumping in his seat.

Ryuunosuke leafed back and forth through a few pages with one hand and returned eventually to the page of Barron. "Yeah. You're new at this, aren't you?"

Gilles eyed him skeptically. "Of course I'm new at this. What sort of significance would that have?" He wished that he would tell him already how much he knew about magic. It was humiliating to be led along like this. He made a mistake and he just wanted to know how to fix it.

"You can't summon Barron. It's impossible."

"But..." Gilles' stomach turned and he instantly felt disappointment. "Do I need more experience? How much more should I-"

Ryuunosuke held up a hand to stop him. He flipped a few pages and then slid the book across the table to him. "Right there. That's a spell you can handle with this book."

He looked over the page and lifted his brows. "A spell to make plants grow? What use would that be to me?"

"What use? You're kidding, right? Imagine what kind of money you could make if you became a farmer and used this to make your crops grow at double their regular speed. Imagine growing any kind of plant out of its season."

"I have no interest in farming," Gilles sighed, showing his distaste for the occupation with a bored frown.

"I didn't say you had to. My point is, this is a book that has its own source of magic - not a lot, but enough for someone with low skill or no skill at all to perform some of the spells in it. However, if you yourself don't have any magic potential, you aren't going to be able to summon something like _Barron_. I don't think I could even do that..."

There was still a hole in this logic, even if Ryuunosuke was telling him solid truth.

"What about the alchemist I got this from? He couldn't summon it himself."

Leaning across the table, Ryuunosuke picked the book back up and then settled back into his seat with it. "He wasn't a good mage, then." He continued looking through it with a blank expression on his face as if he were concentrating. After a moment, he stood up, holding the book in one hand, taking the remainder of his sweet potato in the other. His eyes remained focused on the page as he started walking.

"Ryuunosuke, where are you going..."

He was headed back to the cellar. Gilles followed and unlocked the door when they reached it. Ryuunosuke entered and it was a miracle that he didn't stumble down the steps with the kind of focus he had.

The organs by then had been placed in jars but the child's body remained out, his torso open. Ryuunosuke leaned down beside him and, when he realized he would need a hand, looked between his potato and the body with a perplexed face. Then he turned back around, looked up at Gilles, and handed the potato up for him to... hold for him, Gilles presumed.

Once his hand was free, Ryuunosuke dipped his whole hand in the boy's torso, up to his wrist. He checked the book once more, then put it down.

He moved a little to the side of the boy and drew a small magic circle on the floor in blood and then muttered something indistinctly. Gilles couldn't tell what he said but he doubted that it was French anyway. It had to be one of the spells.

When he stood and closed the book, the circle he drew glowed with a bright red light and something began to materialize in the center of it.

"A... What is this?" Gilles asked, staring in amazement at the thing that had appeared. It had long, slimy-looking appendages, but for something with so many arms, it had no head. Instead, there was only one gaping mouth in the center of it with teeth like razors.

"Here." He handed the book back to him to the page he had used with a picture of the same tentacled creature. "I didn't have to draw a circle for this, but I wanted to prove that it works. My father is a mage, so..."

"My... Surely a father would be proud to have a son with an incredible talent such as yours!" Gilles praised. He was overjoyed to meet someone who knew their way around a spell book and even more thrilled that they were so compatible. If he were Ryuunosuke's father, he would have been beaming with pride and telling everyone about him.

Ryuunosuke did not look happy, however. He stood back up but left his gaze on the floor, at the strange beast he called forth.

"I guess you would be surprised then. My father doesn't practice magic. When he saw that I expressed an interest in it, my family abandoned me." He nudged the toe of his shoe against one of the monster's tentacles which swatted back at him in an almost playful manner. "You're done with that kid's body now, right?"

Gilles nodded. "I am..." He wasn't thinking so much about the body at the moment. Gilles' mind was still trying to comprehend why Ryuunosuke's family would cast him off.

At his word, Ryuunosuke nudged the body toward the monster and what followed brought Gilles back to reality in a very startling way. At a speed much greater than would be expected from an amphibious-looking creature on land, it rose up on its appendages and lunged at the corpse and began devouring it with its massive mouth.

"I like to have as much fun as I please before I dispose of a corpse, but when it comes time for hiding evidence, I recommend that we do it this way from now on. No one would ever be able to find where it went." He held out the book in front of himself, said some new incantation, and the monster disappeared. All that remained on the floor was a puddle of drying blood where the body used to be. Seeming very proud of his work, Ryuunosuke turned around with a big grin. "Brilliant, right?"

'Brilliant' wasn't the word. It was genius. It was amazing. To imagine the other kinds of things that Ryuunosuke was capable of made Gilles feel faint with excitement. He could comfortably admit to himself that there was something about killing now that made him feel this way. When he looked at Ryuunosuke looking so pleased, looking at him for approval, he felt... indescribable.

There really were no words. He released the breath he had been holding and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Ryuunosuke giggled childishly and wrapped his arms around him in turn, nuzzling his face into his shoulder.

When he pulled back, he had a glowing smile on him, practically radiating with happiness. "I can't even remember the last time someone hugged me like that. N-no one hugs me like that anymore."

"And I don't understand why," Gilles said, showing his concern with a furrowed brow. "You are a fine young man, positively brimming with charm and talent. It isn't your fault at all if others don't understand you. I can see... You understand a whole world that is foreign to others. And people are afraid of things that are different."

Ryuunosuke's face changed, softening into a wistful expression that was hard for Gilles to place.

"Master..." he whispered, reverently.

Gilles hushed him gently and pulled him closer, similar to the way they had stood together earlier. "I accept you here, Ryuunosuke," he said, words that must have meant more than the world to Ryuunosuke.

Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes, his lips quivering as a frown threatened to overcome him. With a loud sniffle, he flung his arms around Gilles' shoulders and pressed their lips together, throwing all of his passion and pain into a single kiss. It was more intense than any kiss Gilles had ever felt.

Would his wife have ever understood this kind of passion? He doubted it. She already showed that she didn't understand his lust for excitement. Jeanne had been the only woman to look at him unafraid after she saw how much it thrilled him to hold life and death in his fingers. Jeanne was gone now, though...

"Ryuunosuke," he whispered against his lips. He let his thoughts slip. "Is it possible... with this magic of yours... to resurrect a person?"

He appeared to be somewhat taken aback by the question but his lips remained close nonetheless. "No," he murmured. "That's the simplest answer I have. I'm sure many have tried it, but... No, sorry. That's one thing you just can't do, as far as I know."

Gilles kissed him again, smiling wanly. "That's alright. I suppose that once the Lord takes a soul, there isn't any way to retrieve it."

"That's a way to look at it," he said, stroking the back of Gilles' neck idly. "Is there someone you want to see again?"

It didn't feel wise to mention Jeanne just yet, even though he felt like he could talk about her all night. He was holding something very nice in his arms right at the moment. What was it they say? Seize the day? Appreciate what you have? Something like that felt appropriate for the current situation with his young accomplice draped across him, breathing warmly into his ear.

"That can be a story for another day," he said, letting the topic rest with another light kiss.

Ryuunosuke leaned back after their lips parted and smiled slyly, lowering his eyes at him lustfully. "I'll remind you. I'd like to hear everything there is to know about you, about..." he gestured to the blood on the floor, "_this_."

"Certainly. Now... Would you like to follow me upstairs?" he inquired, teasingly running his fingers along Ryuunosuke's jawline. What he wouldn't give right now to see him spread across his bed, begging for him. The last time he enjoyed such human contact was recent, but not in a fashion Gilles was entirely proud of. He was looking forward to the consensual kind of begging a lot more.

Ryuunosuke was quick to say yes and he eagerly followed him out of the cellar, up to his quarters. This was a first for Gilles. The desire for another man wasn't anything new, but the act wasn't something he had the pleasure of engaging in yet. After the amazing things Ryuunosuke had already shown him tonight, he was excited to see what else he could show him in bed.

While he closed the door behind them, Ryuunosuke waltzed into his room and leaned over the bedside table to light a few of his candles to illuminate the room. One by one, the tiny flames added their light to the moonlight that peeked through the window.

"Romantic," Ryuunosuke said, a hint of nerves detectable in his voice. Gilles joined him on the bed after he sat down. Even if he was saying it just to keep the mood, Gilles agreed. Their lips met again and Gilles began working his hands underneath Ryuunosuke's shirt.

Determined to have some control where he could take it, Ryuunosuke pulled his shirt off for him and removed Gilles' as well. After he had it off, he sat back to look at him, silently admiring. The way Ryuunosuke looked at him was arousing, but something about it made him nervousness. Was it possible that they were both nervous?

Even if he was, Ryuunosuke was doing a good job of covering it for the most part, stripping with little shame. His shoes hit the floor first, then his socks, and lastly his trousers, leaving him kneeling bare in front of him. While he was busy staring, Gilles had completely ignored his opportunity to do the same. For that, Ryuunosuke began working his clothes off for him, anxious to touch him.

Gilles wasn't certain where this was going but that was alright. He had heard once that the best course of action was to take no action at all. The way to arrive at the best outcome would be to let things take their own natural course. That seemed like an appropriate philosophy for this moment, so he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of Ryuunosuke's hands exploring his skin, touching him in places that had been aching to be touched.

He could feel him, hard against his leg. Gently, he moved his knee and smirked as he listened to Ryuunosuke whimper and felt him writhe against him. Ryuunosuke's lips remained on his almost constantly, just breathing or gasping in between each intermittent kiss he gave.

"Please," he heard him murmur - and Gilles was ready to oblige him until the unexpected feeling of two of Ryuunosuke's fingers prodding at his entrance gave him a start.

"W-wait," he said quickly, sitting up. His young apprentice remained kneeling between his bended knees, looking at him expectantly. "So you... You're going to be taking the role of the man?"

He tilted his head. "We're both men. I mean, one of us has to take that role, right? I thought I was giving enough signs to... You know. Seeing as how I was..."

To keep things from taking an awkward turn, Gilles just nodded and stroked his face. "I'll go get something to make this easier." With that, he slid from the bed and disappeared to the bathing room. He knew that anything slick would work, based on the crude gossip he had heard from fellow knights but if one wanted to do it right, nothing less than fine oils would do.

Or blood. Blood would be... That would be very interesting. But not Ryuunosuke's and certainly not his own. He didn't want to even leave a scratch on the perfect creature he had waiting for him back in his bedroom.

Having found a bottle of massage oil, he returned to the bedroom and held it up for Ryuunosuke to see. It seemed he understood what it was because he grinned and turned a new shade of red. He held out his hand for it and Gilles handed it over, curious where this was going to go. He was beginning to doubt Ryuunosuke's experience, but he was willing to bet that he could make up for it with his overflowing enthusiasm. He had that in abundance.

The bottle was opened and a small amount was poured over two of his fingers. He made a sound when a bit dripped on the bed but Gilles reassured him. A little mess in the bedroom was something he had been missing, after all. He turned over and got on his knees to give Ryuunosuke better access and sighed when he felt those fingers teasing around his entrance again. In this position he could bury his face in his pillows and hide any embarrassing sounds that he happened to make - like the noise he made when Ryuunosuke plunged both of his fingers inside him, all the way to the knuckle.

It stung, he had to admit, but the sting started to ease into a pleasant raw pressure the longer Ryuunosuke left his fingers inside of him, allowing him to adjust to them. When he began to move them, he did something. Some curl of his fingers or some particular angle he took made Gilles' eyes open wide and gasp suddenly.

He heard Ryuunosuke hum approvingly as he removed his fingers. The loss of them left him unexpectedly desiring their return, feeling exposed and... needy. He wouldn't get this way for just anyone, he told himself. He was trying not to, but he was willing to act shamefully and relinquish his pride to get him to please him.

Gilles murmured his name softly, reaching behind himself to lightly touch his entrance with his fingers.

"Y-yes," came Ryuunosuke's stuttering reply. By the sound of it, Gilles knew that he must have been just as ready for it as he was. First, he felt the head of Ryuunosuke's cock nudging itself between his fingers and then, with one slick push, he was seated firmly within him. He groaned, feeling every inch of him penetrating and brushing against that spot that made his legs quiver unstably.

"Oh..." Ryuunosuke breathed, hunched over Gilles, his face close enough to his where he could feel his breath on his shoulder. It sounded like an epiphany which more or less confirmed his theory that this was a new experience for him. It was like he just now realized what it was like to be inside someone else and, well, in was a first of sorts for Gilles as well. He felt like he could second that "oh", pretty sure that he now understood the appeal of receiving.

Ryuunosuke took a few moments to settle his breathing and worked to soothe out any lingering pain in his companion by stroking his hands gently up and down his thighs. The pillow wasn't enough anymore. Gilles had to put a hand over his mouth to hold back the disgusting sounds of his wanton breaths.

He glanced behind himself and Ryuunosuke appeared to be... concerned? Hesitant? It was hard to tell from the angle he was looking from and the desire that was clouding his head couldn't have helped things either. He hoped that he wasn't feeling inadequate, though. If that were the problem, Gilles rocked his hips, pressing himself back against him with a moan to let him know that he was enjoying it. He didn't know what he should have expected, but it made Ryuunosuke whimper and he grabbed his hips to still him.

"Sorry, I..." he paused. "I never knew why people did this - until now. I never had anyone that I felt connected to. People are disgusting. Horrible. But you - I feel a little confused but my body feels sure about what it wants."

"I know the feeling."

He caught a flash of a smile across Ryuunosuke's face but then the concentrating look returned as he began to move his hips. He was slow, careful; that much Gilles appreciated but once the pleasure began to build again, it only made him ache for more. Arching his back, he held onto his pillow.

"Don't hold back," he told him. "You can do it as you please. I'm sure you won't break me."

It felt so liberating and reassuring to be able to place his trust in someone like this again. How he missed it; the feeling of warmth and contentment in his heart as he gave himself to someone he trusted.

Those were magic words for Ryuunosuke. He whimpered, letting his hips move on their own while his hands scoured every inch of Gilles' body; his hips, his shoulders, his chest, touching and exploring every place he could reach. There was only one place that went without contact. Gilles took one of his hands once he could reach it and, at sweet last, guided it to his cock.

Ryuunosuke's thrusts began growing more erratic and with every push and jerk of his fist, Gilles knew he was nearing closer to his finish. His fingers drew painfully tight around his cock as his hips faltered. While he leaned over him, panting, Gilles could feel the warmth of his cum as he filled him and felt a bit of it slip down his thigh as he pulled away.

He rolled over onto his back after, not concerned whether he got anything else on the sheets. His knees were aching but there were other parts of him that deserved more attention. Reaching out, he traced his thumb along Ryuunosuke's bottom lip and lowered his lashes.

"Would you?" he inquired, his request implicit.

He flushed a cute, embarrassed shade of red but nodded, happy to please his new master. Scooting back a little on his knees, he lowered himself between his spread legs, resting one hand on his thigh while the other wrapped around his painfully hard cock. Before he made another move, he looked up at him with a startlingly innocent light in his eyes.

"You aren't mad at me then?" he asked.

"For?"

He looked to the side and Gilles had to strain his ears to hear what he said. "_For coming in you..._"

Gilles felt bad for laughing, but he had to. "Should I be?" he asked. When Ryuunosuke looked back up at him, Gilles stroked a hand through his hair and patted his cheek with his fingers. "That was the best part for me."

This was almost too easy. Ryuunosuke was very easy to encourage.

Seeming to be energized by his response, he put forth all his effort when he took him into his mouth. Gilles groaned immediately once he felt himself surrounded by his wet, velvety tongue. He forgot when the last time someone had done this for him was and he highly doubted that it felt _this_ good. In fact, he wished that it never had to end, but after all the stimulation he already received, he knew that even he couldn't last for much longer.

Deciding that there was no need for any 'payback' after Ryuunosuke came inside him, he thought it only fair to warn him. However, it seemed that the only reason Ryuunosuke pulled back was out of confusion, unsure why he was trying to warn him at all. The slick movement of his lips around the head of his cock as he pulled away was what finally set Gilles off. He gripped the sheets with one hand, the other holding Ryuunosuke's chin as he came.

If he had opened his eyes while he came, he probably would have came even harder. When the haze finally cleared and his senses returned, he realized that he'd painted his sweet apprentice's face; cum spattered all over his cheeks, rolling down the side of his nose, over his lips... And he licked them. He lifted his hands to his face and wiped it off and licked his fingers.

Gilles was surprised and... pleased. Still very pleased. More than that, even.

With a soft, content sigh, Ryuunosuke collapsed onto his side on the bed and curled himself up against Gilles' side.

"It's alright if I sleep here, right?"

"O-of course..."

He just had to get Ryuunosuke under the sheets but that was surprisingly more difficult than it sounded. Once he was tired, he became like a rock; slow, heavy, and stubbornly stuck in place. He seemed more than content to forgo the blankets if it meant he could stay permanently clinging to his side.

That was alright, Gilles decided ultimately. He was still sticky and somewhat uncomfortable, what with the mess between his thighs, but he would be alright to fall asleep with him just the way he was. Something like this didn't happen every day, after all.


End file.
